Page 1 of 4
Growing Business Fund Grant Panel Meeting Minutes (Confirmed)
Wednesday, 04 July 2018 | 10.00am - 12.30pm
Meeting Room G01, Centrum, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7UG
Present - Panel:
Mike Burrows (MB)
Jeanette Wheeler (JWh)
Martin Ince (MI)
Dominic Keen (DK)
Paul Stewart (PS)
Max Applin (MA)
In attendance:
Julie West (JWe)
Chris Dashper (CD)
Jason Middleton (JM)
Rose Joy (RJ)
Neil Sargent (NS)
Stuart Ager (SA)
Amanda Castell (AC)
Hayley Johnson (HJ)
Barry Henson (BH)
Vimmi Hayes (VH)
In observation:
Jackie Potter (JP)
Daryl Griffiths (DG)
Dr Sumathi Sundram
ECC (Chair)
Birketts (Vice Chair)
Martin Ince Communications
Britbots
Center Parcs
Max Applin Consulting
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
New Anglia LEP
Finance East
Finance East
Finance East
Finance East
Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council
Gough Hotels
Burnett Barker Solicitors
SGV Consultants Ltd
Actions from the meeting: Wednesday, 06 June 2018
No actions identified.
Recruitment for Panel members. Interviews have been held and new panel members invited to attend
and observe today’s GBF Panel meeting.
1
Welcome
MB welcomed everyone to the meeting. Introductions were made to the observers.
2
Apologies
Apologies were received from David Dukes, Norfolk County Council and Sandy Ruddock, Scarlet and
Mustard.
3
Declarations of Interest and GDPR
No Declarations of Interest declared.
GDPR - JM reminded Panel members to hand all paperwork to RJ to shred at the end of the meeting and
to ensure they delete emails with attachments.
Page 2 of 4
GBF Application Form - JWe to update the application form with new wording to reflect GDPR.
4
Meeting Minutes: Panel Meeting Wednesday, 06 June 2018
Confirmed, with minor amendment - remove ‘Condition applied’ to Omega Ingredients Limited.
Request made for distinction between Julie West (JWe) and Jeanette Wheeler (JWh) in the Minutes to
ensure clarity.
5
New Applications for Approval (7)
(a) LDH (La Doria) Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £500,000
One additional condition added.
(b) Glowcroft Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £38,742
No additional conditions. Three full-time jobs to be created.
(c) Pecksniffs Bespoke Fragrances & Cosmetics Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £202,500
No additional conditions. Fourteen and a half full-time jobs to be created
(Fourteen full-time roles and one part-time role)
(d) Gnaw Chocolate Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £25,330
Note: match finance needs to be confirmed and evidence provided.
Two full-time jobs to be created.
(e) Ponders End Investments PLC - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £179,239 - de-minimis award.
Note: Job creation to be specific to new site
Thirty-six full-time jobs to be created.
(f) Netmatters Limited - Agreed to support
Approved Grant: £37,500
Four full-time jobs to be created.
(g) BCMZ Precision Engineering Limited - Agreed to support.
Approved Grant: £74,500
Four full-time jobs to be created.
6
Small Grant Scheme Update
JM provided update. The Panel noted the award of nine Small Grant Scheme grants in the month of May
2018, totalling £91,239 (Grants Awarded) - See Appendix 1.
It was noted that the current programme end date is 31 August 2018. Currently waiting decision from
MHCLG on a further three-year extension for the larger programme which includes the grant and will start
01 September 2018.
To date over £1 million has been paid out - over committed by approx. £500,000.
It was noted that Asset Finance remains an issue for the Small Grant Scheme. ERDF ruling on Asset
Finance is much stricter for the Small Grant Scheme than is the case for GBF in that the match has to be
paid out of the SMEs bank account as private sector match funding therefore asset Finance cannot be
used.
7
Funding and Jobs Creation
BH provided update. To date £420,000 paid out (this equates to 15% of this year’s budget). £1.6 million
has been approved but not yet drawn down, which with todays approved grants totals £3.088 million -
£298,000 over-committed.
Page 3 of 4
Cumulative confirmed job creation now stands at 1902 (up eleven on last month). With an additional
thirty-eight confirmed jobs for the Small Grant Scheme (jobs not a requirement)
Small Grant Scheme It was confirmed that over 120 grants paid out, totalling £1.064 million, leaving
£468,000 to be defrayed.
It was noted the overall total for all grant funding paid out to date was £21.26 million.
Attendees were given an update on the approved grant for APR Telecoms (Maintenance) Limited
(November 2014). APR Telecoms has been sold to Wavenet Limited, Coventry, who have committed to
staying in Wymondham and retaining jobs.
8
GBF Applications ‘Pipeline
NS provided brief details of applications in progress. At present there are four applications to be
submitted to the August meeting.
A general discussion took place on the eligibility of veterinary practices.
9
PR and Marketing
GBF statistics for April 2013 - May 2018 were circulated to the Panel for information.
JWe provided an update and advised that the new Growth Hub website goes live tomorrow, Thursday, 05
July 2018. It was noted that the Marketing & Communications Co-ordinator has resigned and recruitment
to fill the post has begun. In the interim work will continue to promote the services of the Growth Hub.
JM informed the panel that once the ERDF programme extension has been approved, there will be a
focussed marketing campaign towards specific targeted businesses as 1000 businesses within Norfolk
and Suffolk have been identified as growing above the 10% per year and therefore ideal recipients of a
growth grant.
Reminder Attendees were reminded that GBF Panel details are to be added to the website so if any
Panel member has not provided JWe with a short 100 words and an up-to-date photograph can they
please do so as soon as possible.
10
Terms of Reference - JWe will review and revise, if necessary, the Terms of Reference for the GBF
Panel to take into account the new Panel members.
New Panel members - new members were in observation today and if happy to join the Panel will let MB
or JWe know of their intention so that they can be formally asked to join.
Vice Chair - JWh informed the Panel that she will now remain as Vice Chair until March 2019.
The meeting closed at 12.15pm.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, 1
st
August 2018 |10.00am - 12.30pm
Room F01 Constantine House, Constantine Road, Ipswich IP1 2DH
Page 4 of 4
APPENDIX 1
New Anglia Small Grant Scheme projects approved in May 2018
No
Applicant
Grant
awarded, £
1
Bridge Auto Sales Ltd.
20,093
2
Insight Ecology Ltd.
3,083
3
Needham Fabrications Ltd.
20,422
4
Joseph Read Lighting Ltd.
11,215
5
ACS Architectural Ltd.
1,340
6
Agricultural & Mechanical
Services Ltd.
6,100
7
Pump Street Chocolate Ltd.
25,000
8
R & B Plastering Ltd.
2,171
9
Edmund & Sedgwick Ltd.
1,815
Total, May 2018
91,239